One of the top big men in the Class of 2016 has cut his list of schools in consideration, and it's shaping up to be a battle of blue bloods for his commitment.
Five-star forward Wenyen Gabriel has cut his list while also setting up official visits with those still in consideration, which includes the Kentucky Wildcats and Duke Blue Devils, as Scout.com's Evan Daniels reports:
Wenyen Gabriel has narrowed his list of schools to UK, Maryland, Duke, UConn & Providence, he tells Scout. Officials set for MD, UK & Duke.
— Evan Daniels (@EvanDaniels) August 12, 2015
Daniels also writes that Gabriel will visit Kentucky the weekend of September 26th and Duke the weekend of October 15th along with the big man's thoughts on both blue bloods:
Kentucky: I liked how excited he is about me and he wants to play me on the wing. That’s intriguing. Everyone my size wants to be on the wing and to be able to have someone helping me do that is exciting. Obvioulsy the goal is to go to the NBA and that seems really prominent there.
Duke: "I just really like Duke. I’ve always like Duke since I was young. Talking to coach K and learning from a coach like that would be a great experience. I want to learn even more about it and see how I fit there. There’s more I need to learn about Duke but there’s definitely interest there.
247 Sports ranks Gabriel, a 6-9, 195-pound forward, as the No. 23 overall prospect and the No. 8 power forward in the class of 2016. As of now, Gabriel holds offers from Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, Maryland, Boston College. Providence Texas, Virginia, UConn, and Notre Dame among others.
Gabriel has been one of the fastest-rising prospects of the summer recruiting period. In the past month, he's scored offers from Duke and Kentucky, who are viewed as a team's to beat for his services. Gabriel's current 24/7 crystal ball has Duke as the heavy favorites.
Here are some of his highlights: